The Dawsonville City Council has approved measures to cut rental rates for several city-owned properties and suspend the disconnection of utility services due for non-payment through the month of May.

During the city council’s April work session which was streamed live on Facebook Monday afternoon, council members voted unanimously to approve the two resolutions, cutting rental rates for three city-owned properties by 50%, waiving late fees, and officially suspending the disconnection of any city utility services until June 1.

“We know there’s a lot of our people who are in the service industry and coronavirus has been hard on them,” Dawsonville Mayor Mike Eason told the Dawson County News following the vote. “We wanted to try and help people out.”

According to the now approved resolution, rental properties included in the rate reduction include the Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery, the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and a local residential property.

The second approved resolution halts the disconnection of water, sewer or garbage service for 45 local properties which would have been slated for disconnection on May 1, city documents state.

If the COVID-19 pandemic continues these resolutions could be extended by the city council, Eason said.